Attitudes Towards Mental Health in Australia and New Zealand

ATTITUDES TO MENTAL HEALTH 1
Comparison and contrast on Attitude Towards Mental Health in Australia and New Zealand
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ATTITUDES TO MENTAL HEALTH 2
Introduction
Mental health problems have become a major contributor to the global burden of disease.
Nordqvist (2017) defines mental health as cognitive, behavioral and emotional well-being.
Mental health is about individuals’ thoughts, feelings and behavior and at times it can be used to
refer to the absence of a mental disorder. It is a condition that has an impact on physical health,
relationships and daily life. Mental illness, on the other hand, is a combination of a variety of
psychiatric disorders such schizophrenia, depression, anxiety, mood, eating, and personality.
Poor knowledge regarding mental health issues and the negative attitudes held towards people
with mental illnesses is widespread amongst the public. It is so unfortunate that many individuals
do not understand mental health problems and therefore are likely to view people suffering from
the condition negatively (Sane.Org 2016). This often results in patients of mental health to be
treated in a bad way or the society labels them in a way they hurt their place in the community.
This is commonly referred to as stigmatization and discrimination. This report will, therefore,
look at the widely held perspective of mental health and compare and contrast the attitudes
towards mental health between Australia and New Zealand.
Literature Review
Introduction
World Health Organization defines mental health as a state of complete physical mental and
social wellbeing and not merely the absence a disease or an infirmity. This definition has three
primary ideas that may result in the improvement of mental health and are important. The value
difference across countries, counties, genders, classes, and cultures may appear too big to agree
on a definition. However, another proposed definition of mental health by WHO has been “a

ATTITUDES TO MENTAL HEALTH 3
state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her abilities, can cope with the normal
stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and can contribute to his or her
community." Mental health is, therefore, the basis for the well-being and effective functioning of
the community and individuals. There is some level of interdependency between social, physical
and mental health and therefore physical and mental health cannot exist alone (World Health
Organization, 2015).
Attitudes Towards Mental Health in Australia
Individuals in Australia wants a good life shared with friends and families and full of
opportunities in involvement in making contributions to the various aspects of life (Mental
Health Commission 2014). Good mental health is a basic thing in building and maintaining a
good life. According to Mental Health Commission (2014), one out of five people in Australia is
likely to experience mental health problems at least once in their lifetime. This is an indication
that Australians are affected by poor mental health either at an individual level or through a
colleague, friend, family member or even neighbors. It is important to note that lifelong mental
illness that is experienced by people has a significant impairment in every facet of their lives and
at times requires long periods of hospitalization. Mental Health Commission (2014) notes that
mental health issues can be accompanied by other challenges such as physical health, alcoholism
and other drug-related issues, interaction with the criminal justice system and disabilities. The
stigma associated with mental health issues can be shameful and result in isolation for the
victims.
Some challenges are encountered from the negative attitudes towards mental health such as high
suicide rates and vulnerability of young people to developing mental health problems. However,

ATTITUDES TO MENTAL HEALTH 4
according to the report by Mental Health Commission (2014), many individuals have invested
their time and energy in sharing their experiences of living with mental health challenges which
have, in turn, resulted in more support towards the desired changes.
Negative attitudes persist amongst the members of the society where the stigma acts as a
disgrace that sets individuals apart from the rest. Some of the identified negative attitudes effects
are the shame, blame, hopelessness, distress, reluctance to seek help and misrepresentation in the
media (Healthywa.wa.gov 2015). WAAMH.org (2018) therefore actively seeks to promote
positive attitudes in the wider community through informing and educating them on how to
respond effectively to these challenges, build resilience and reduce stigma to enhance the
promotion of a community that is mentally healthy.
In a study conducted by the University of Melbourne concerning attitudes towards mental health
across the country, the findings indicate no significant difference for all the analyses done in
stigmatizing attitudes to the Australian population (University of Melbourne 2015). Also, the
levels of discrimination and stigma did not differ in the national population. In another study by
Lam, Jorm and Wong (2010), conducted on the Chinese community members in Melbourne
regarding their attitudes towards individuals with mental illness and training regarding the
mental health first aid knowledge on mental disorders indicated the prevalence of negative
attitudes on the mental health. However, significant improvements were noted in mental
disorders recognition and treatment, and there were reduced negative attitudes. With an increase
in knowledge concerning this condition, the community at large is determined to change the
perceptions of mental health. The general community members have less knowledge about
mental health problems even though mental disorders are so prevalent in the society where